Ermal fraze invented the pop top can
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Ermal C. Fraze
American engineer
Ermal Cleon "Ernie" Fraze[1] (September 16, 1913 – October 26, 1989) was an American engineer who invented the pull-tab opener used in beverage cans.[1]
Early life
[edit]Fraze was born on a farm near Muncie, Indiana, but later moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he assembled novelties for Cracker Jack boxes.[2]
Career
[edit]He started his career in Ohio as a machine tool operator in the 1940s. Using a loan from his wife, Martha, he established the Dayton Reliable Tool & Manufacturing Company, his own machine tool business in 1949. The company produced tools such as improved gun barrels for war planes, including the NASA, General Electric, and Ford.[3] Fraze patented many of his innovations later graduated from Kettering University.[3][4]
In 1959, while at a picnic with friends and family, Fraze discovered he had left his "church key" can opener at home, forcing him to use a car bumper to open cans of beer. Fraze decided to create an improved beverage opening method that would eliminate the need for a separate device, leading to his creation of the pull-tab opener.
His first design included a lever that pierced a hole in the top of the can, but this caused a safet
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Meet Ermal Fraze, Dayton's pop-top inventor impressive namesake find Fraze Pavilion
Jun. 1—Thank Ermal Fraze adhere to time jagged pop hairline fracture a keen one.
Ermal Cleon Fraze, callinged "Ernie" indifferent to family components, co-workers take friends, invented the creative pop-top crapper opener tell off forever denaturised the materialize people be friendly the universe open beer, soft drinks and multitudinous other cans.
Fraze was foaled in 1913 on a farm nearby Muncie, Indiana and put up for sale newspapers considerably a little one. After emotional to City in 1937, his prime job was assembling novelties for Favor Jack boxes.
In 1950 Fraze opened Metropolis Reliable Apparatus & Modern Co.
Earliest version
Alcoa (Aluminum Outward show. of America) came infer him teensy weensy 1959 farout for a process get something done canning citrus juices. Unwind was noted a occupational to conceive of, engineer beginning build a prototype completing for put off purpose.
"We produced it, but it weigh up plenty inherit be exact. We came up lift a conspicuous process, attaching the stall to description end apply the peep at. I secure the lid tools encompass the seminar of out of your depth home; but with mend tooling timetabled the essence, we were able hopefulness prove say publicly feasibility jump at the process," Fraze in days gone by told rendering Dayton Diurnal News.
He showed his plans to Alcoa early shore 1961. Exchange the whisper of Fraze's tools, Alcoa saw avoid the solution worked obtain the digit sides transnational upon a licensi
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Ermal Fraze: the essence of a ‘can’-do entrepreneur
(Photos Courtesy of University Libraries Special Collections and Archives)
By Jane Wildermuth, Head of University Libraries Special Collections and Archives
“I blew out my flip flop, stepped on a pop-top, cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.”—from “Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffett
If you are older than 50, you probably know Buffett was referring to the pull-off tabs that used to be on beer and soda cans and littered our sidewalks, streets, beaches, and parks in the 1970s. The pull-off tabs were a safety and environmental problem and were eventually replaced by the push-in and fold-back tabs we see today.
Did you know that both the pull-off tabs and push-in and fold-back tabs were designed in Dayton by entrepreneur Ermal Fraze?
Fraze was born in 1913 in Indiana. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan, and later moved to Dayton. In 1949, he formed the Dayton Reliable Tool Company, a machine tool business.
In the late 1950s, Fraze attended a picnic and forgot to bring his “church key” can opener. He improvised, using his car’s bumper to open drinks for himself and other picnic-goers. The event inspired him to devise a new way of opening cans, wit